Are we serious about dust pollution?

17th January, 2019 09:55:43

A front-page report in yesterday’s daily sun depicts a terrible picture of environmental pollution in Dhaka city. A photograph associated with the report shows piles of dusts littered on a city flyover. It seems that the city cleaners piled up dusts on the side of the flyover after sweeping it. It may also happen that the sweepers clean roads but heap up garbage in one corner or side. Similarly, we also noticed that city drains are being cleaned but the raw sewage and mud are being mounded on roadside. What kind of cleanliness operation are these by keeping the job half done? If anything, it makes the city roads dirtier.

It boils down to the question why dirt and dust accumulated either from roads or drains are not being properly disposed of in designated dumping grounds. Do the cleaners lack wherewithal to do so or it is their half-heartedness? We hope the authorities concerned will take cognisance of the matter and take necessary action.

On a bigger scale, the air quality of the city is being deteriorated due to such haphazard way of our cleanliness measures. Already, air quality in major Bangladeshi cities is among the worst in the world, according to a report of World Health Organisation. If the issue is not dealt with now, it will turn out to be a major health hazard in near future.

That said, reckless littering by residents as well is a great disservice to our beloved city on which millions of us are dependent for a life and living. It is pitiful that many of us have no regards to a clean environment. We are in the habit of thinking that it is someone else’s headache to maintain its cleanliness and beauty. But as long as the public do not cooperate, the cleanliness workers will never be able to give the capital a spick and sparkling look.